This is a selection of the world’s most famous black and white photographs – images that have marked some of the most important and shocking events in the history – from Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation to the atomic mushroom cloud. These pictures certainly speak more than a thousand words: they stir emotions whether they depict poverty, racism and the horrors of war, or something as uplifting and joyous as the famous WWII kiss in Times Square.